STAFF

Ix’Chel Angeles

Ix’Chel Angeles, AAS, communications associate. Ix’Chel joined CASA-NYC in March 2023 as a communications intern, before being promoted to communications associate in August 2023. Her areas of expertise include social media management, graphic design,  film, and media. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Advertising and Marketing Communications at The Fashion Institute of Technology. 

Jennifer Asencio

Jennifer Asencio, BA, assistant volunteer coordinator. Jennifer has worked in public service for over ten years. Prior to joining CASA in November 2022, Jennifer worked for NYC Health + Hospitals helping families obtain medical financial wellness as a financial counselor. Jennifer has a BA from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Humanities and Justice Studies with a triple minor in Philosophy, Psychology, and Law. In addition, she has worked with children and their families as a back up foster parent for seven years.

Drema Bautista

Drema Bautista, MHC-LP, advocate supervisor. Drema has over 8 years of experience engaging and supporting families and youth in crisis. Before joining CASA-NYC in June 2023, Drema gained many internship experiences, such as working at an LGBTQ center and going abroad to the Dominican Republic to serve students in need. Drema has extensive experience in various roles, including as a clinician for undocumented children at Cayuga Centers, and has held in multiple roles at Good Shepherd Services, including adoption recruiter, socio-therapist, mental health therapist, and facilitated support groups for foster parents and youth. Drema has clinical experience as a psychotherapist and ABA therapist. While earning her master’s degree, Drema participated in an Interdisciplinary Health Education Learning Program (IHELP) Fellowship, receiving training and providing services for children, adolescents, and transitional-aged youth who are at risk for behavioral health disorders in high-need and high-demand areas. Drema is first generation graduate with a MS in Mental Health Counseling from Mercy College 2022 and B.A in Sociology from Suny Cortland 2016. Drema is highly passionate about continuing to serve, teach, advocate, and help children, adolescents, and transitional-aged youth and family members to reach their full potential.

Annie Benedict

Annie Benedict, LMSW, program director. Annie first joined CASA in 2015 as an advocate supervisor and was promoted to borough coordinator for Manhattan and Staten Island in 2017 and to director of programs in January 2022. Annie received her M.S.W. from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, with a specialization in Child Welfare, in May 2014 and a B.A. in Psychology and Child Development from Tufts University in May 2008. As a graduate student, Annie interned at Brooklyn Community Services providing family counseling and preventive services. She has conducted ongoing research with families in the NYC child welfare system, in collaboration with the Research Foundation of CUNY and the Silberman School of Social Work.

Alison Caspi

Alison Caspi, LMSW, director of operations and quality assurance. Alison received her M.S.W. from New York University in May 2007, and a B.A. in Psychology from University of Massachusetts-Amherst in May 2005. Prior to joining CASA-NYC in 2015, Alison was a social worker at The Children’s Law Center in the Bronx, as well as a youth residence social worker at Family Services of Westchester in upstate New York. She also became certified in Seminar In Field Instruction (SIFI) in January of 2015.

Joseph Dooling

Joe Dooling, MBA/MFA, director of finance and administration. Joe has over fifteen years of experience working in higher education and non profit finance and operations. He has an MFA in Film which he earned during his eleven years working at Columbia University. He is eager to help maximize the potential of CASA NYC.

Meaghan Ford

Meaghan Ford, LMSW, director of advocacy. Meaghan began at CASA as an advocate supervisor in the Brooklyn Family Court in 2016, after earning her MSW from Columbia University. She was promoted to brooklyn borough coordinator in 2019 and to director of advocacy in January 2022. In this role, she is responsible for supervising the four borough coordinators and ensuring the delivery of high quality advocacy for the children and families we serve.

Maria Fuqua

Maria Fuqua, BA, development associate. Maria joined CASA-NYC in December 2023 after completing her development internship at CASA of Tarrant County in Fort Worth, Texas. She received her Bachelor’s of Business Administration from Texas Christian University in May 2023, where she focused her studies on Marketing and Management. Maria thoroughly enjoyed her time working at a previous CASA, and is excited to assist with fundraising efforts that support CASA’s mission in New York City. 

Kaleigh Galvin

Kaleigh Galvin, LMSW, Brooklyn advocate supervisor. Kaleigh joined CASA-NYC in February, 2022 as an advocate supervisor in Brooklyn. In this role she coordinates with volunteers to provide direct services to children and youth in foster care. Kaleigh graduated from Columbia School of Social Work in 2021 and became a LMSW in 2021 as well. Prior to joining CASA-NYC, Kaleigh worked at New York Lawyer's for the Public Interest (NYLPI) as the social worker on the Health and Immigration Justice team. Kaleigh also spent a year interning at NYLPI, and prior to that interned at Family Centers Inc. in Connecticut. Before beginning her social work career, Kaleigh graduated from St. Lawrence University with a major in Environmental Sociology.

Joseph Gherman

Joseph Gherman, LMSW, Staten Island advocate supervisor, Joseph received his Master of Social Work degree from the University of Denver in 2023, and an LMSW in 2023 as well. Before joining CASA-NYC, Joseph worked at Seamen's Society for the City of New York's Administration for Children Services as a Child Protective Specialist, and then as a Family Team Conference Facilitator for Foster Care. Joseph has joined CASA-NYC to continue providing advocacy and support for children and families in the child welfare system. 

Colin Gilland

Colin Gilland, Esq., Manhattan/Staten Island borough coordinator & policy coordinator. Colin has served as advocate supervisor in CASA's Manhattan & Staten Island program since January 2019, and in 2021 took on the additional role of policy coordinator. In January 2022 he was promoted to borough coordinator for Manhattan and Staten Island. Colin received his JD from Brooklyn law school in 2013 and while in law school interned in the Legal Aid Society's criminal defense and juvenile rights practices. Prior to joining CASA he served as an advocate and mentor for at-risk youth with Friends of the Children New York, and as a legal fellow at the Center for Family Representation.

Katrina Greene

Katrina Greene, MS, volunteer coordinator. Katrina received her Master of Science in Nonprofit Management with a concentration in Project Management from Northeastern University in 2018. Prior to joining CASA-NYC, Katrina worked at the Young Adult Institute (YAI) as the assistant supervisor at one of the supportive apartments providing direct care to individuals with mild to severe Intellectual Developmental Disabilities. She enjoys learning and experiencing new cultures and has a strong passion for advocating for families and individuals whose voices have been minimized or not heard.

Melanie Heredia

Melanie Heredia, MSW, Bronx advocate supervisor. Melanie joined CASA-NYC as a Bronx advocate supervisor in July of 2023 with over 3 years of experience working with children in foster care. Melanie received a Master of Social Work degree from Adelphi University in 2021 and BS in Social Work from CUNY York College in 2019. Prior to joining CASA-NYC, Melanie worked at Catholic Guardian Services as a social work supervisor and prior to that was in the role of therapeutic foster care case planner. Melanie has joined CASA-NYC to continue providing advocacy and support for children and families involved in the child welfare system.

Kimberly Hernandez

Kimberly Hernandez, BA, advocate supervisor. Kimberly joined CASA-NYC in January 2023 with 10 years of relevant work experience in social services. Prior to joining CASA-NYC, Kimberly was a senior case planner, group leader, and a program aide with Good Shepherd Services. She also worked as a substitute Pre-K lead teacher with special needs children. Kimberly received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the City College of New York.  Kimberly specializes in working with low income families and providing them the best resources available for reunification. She plans to continue advocating for youths and families in care.

Brie Hayes

Brie Hayes, youth fellow. Brie is a former foster youth who has always had a passion for cooking and is now a sous chef, runs her own catering company, and now works at CASA-NYC. Her journey to becoming a chef started when she appeared in a weekly television show called Wednesday's Child, which assists in finding adoptive parents who can provide foster children in New York City with a safe, permanent home. Here she was able to connect with multiple chefs who saw her potential and taught her more about the culinary world. Over time, Brie became more confident in her abilities in and out of the kitchen and was able to advocate for herself and others. Her area of focus includes older youth aging out of the system, helping them access housing and assuring their stability. In addition, she has worked closely with city council members and passionately advocates for underserved communities impacted by the child welfare system.

Pamela Howard

Pamela Howard, Esq. advocate supervisor. Pamela has many years of experience practicing law in New York State Family Courts. Her areas of expertise include child welfare and intimate partner violence. She has a B.A. in history and psychology from Macalester College and a JD from Georgetown University Law Center.

Joshua Johnson

Joshua Luke Johnson, BA, development and communication coordinator. Joshua is an editorial and content strategy professional living in New York City. His writing and design work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the American Scholastic Press Association, and the Associated Collegiate Press. Joshua holds a BA in Journalism and is pursuing a Master of Professional Studies in Print and Digital Media Publishing from The George Washington University. He has served as a director at Uptown Stories, a nonprofit based in Washington Heights that offers creative writing and storytelling workshops to low-income children. Prior to this, Joshua worked for Creatd, Inc, a then-Nasdaq technology company, where he served as Head of Content for Vocal, a multimedia digital publishing platform serving more than one million creators.

Sussana Justo

Sussana Justo, LMSW, MSCJ, director of youth services. Sussana has seven years of experience in engaging and supporting families in crisis. Prior to joining CASA-NYC in April 2020, Sussana worked at a women's shelter operated by Help USA, and most recently as a supervisor for the Therapeutic Family Foster Care department at Good Shepherd Services. She holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and a Masters in Social Work. She joined CASA-NYC in 2020 as an advocate supervisor and was promoted to Bronx borough coordinator in 2021 before being promoted to director of youth services in June, 2023. 

Suweba Kabiru

Suweba Kabiru, MSW, advocate supervisor. Suweba joined CASA-NYC in March 2022 with 14 years of experience in the fields of child welfare, domestic violence, youth and family services. Prior to joining CASA, Suweba worked at Cardinal McCloskey Community Services as a health care integrator supervisor for 9 years, at Rising Ground as a case planner supervisor, and at St. Dominic's Home as a case planner. Suweba also worked with domestic violence victims and survivors within Muslim Community at Turning Point for Women and Family. Suweba received her MSW from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College 2007 and B.A in Social Work from Lehman College in 2006.

Jacqueline Medina

Jacqueline Medina, administrative assistant and Staten Island outreach coordinator. Jacqueline comes to CASA-NYC with over 25 years of experience in the non-profit sector. Prior to joining CASA-NYC in January 2018, she was at the Children's Aid Society for 10 years as the executive assistant to the CEO and to the Director of the Juvenile Justice Department. Earlier, Jacqueline spent more than 15 years with the Children's Tumor Foundation, where she was the executive assistant to the CEO and Director of Administration. She enjoys organizing and her passion is to continue working with youth, whom she previously has mentored to successful paths.

Alexa Montenegro

Alexa Montenegro, LCSW, advocate supervisor/mental health care access coordinator. Alexa joined CASA-NYC in May 2021 as an advocate supervisor in the Bronx. She began serving as our Mental Health Care Access Coordinator in Manhattan in May 2022. Prior to CASA-NYC, Alexa provided outpatient mental health services to youth and families at Northside Center for Child Development, with a special focus on attachment-focused therapy for young children and the adults in their lives. She has nearly 10 years of experience in providing behavioral therapy, anti-trafficking support, and mental health services to NYC families. Alexa received her BA in Human Development from Sonoma State University and her MSW from NYU’s Silver School of Social Work.

Hilary Neher

Hilary Neher, LMSW, Brooklyn borough coordinator. Hilary joined CASA in 2019 as an advocate supervisor in the Brooklyn Family Court, and was promoted to Brooklyn Borough Coordinator in January 2022. Hilary received a BSW from Rutgers University and an MSW from The Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College in 2013. Since then, she has worked with many different populations including youth and families and those involved in the child welfare and criminal justice systems. Most of Hilary’s experience in social work has been on holistic defense teams, both in the criminal and family court sphere. She advocated for parents in abuse and neglect proceedings in family court and most recently, she served as a forensic social worker in the Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Practice supporting clients in Kings County Criminal Court and Supreme Court.

Caroline Richardson

Caroline Richardson, BS, advocate supervisor. Caroline received a B.S. in Psychology at the College of Charleston in 2019 and is currently pursuing a Masters in Youth Studies at CUNY School of Professional Studies. Prior to joining CASA-NYC in April 2023, Caroline worked as a foster care case planner at JCCA before moving into the role of program quality specialist for the Foster Care and Residential Programs at JCCA and Preventive Program at Vibrant Emotional Health.

Raymeri Sanchez

Raymeri Sanchez, LMSW, advocate supervisor. Raymeri joined CASA-NYC in November of 2022 with over 6 years of experience in child welfare. Prior to joining CASA-NYC, Raymeri was a social work supervisor, kinship navigator and case planner with Good Shepherd Services. Raymeri received her bachelor's degree from Hunter College and MSW from Fordham University in 2020. Raymeri became a LMSW in 2021. Raymeri's continuing passion in working with children and families aligns with the mission of ensuring children and youth have their needs met and rights protected while in foster care.

Alyssa Sanclemente

Alyssa Sanclemente, BA, training coordinator. Alyssa joined CASA-NYC in July 2023, bringing nearly 7 years of experience working in child welfare. Alyssa began her career as a case planner, working to help families reunify, and was eventually promoted to become a trainer of evidence based models. Alyssa has excelled in facilitating parenting skills groups and foster parent support groups as well as training staff in becoming group facilitators. A first generation college graduate, Alyssa received her Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University in 2014 and is currently pursuing her Master Degree in Organizational Leadership at Lehman College. Alyssa hopes to continue cultivating engaging and exciting training experiences for staff and volunteers.

Adine Schuman

Adine Schuman, MPA, interim director of development & communications. Adine is providing interim leadership to CASA-NYC while a permanent department director is recruited. She brings expertise gained over a long career in which she served local, national, and global mission-driven nonprofits. Among the organizations she has been affiliated with are: United Way, NewYork Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College, EngenderHealth, Storefront Academy Harlem, Getting Out and Staying Out, among others.  

Santella Waller

Santella Waller, MS, Queens borough coordinator and educational advocate. Santella received a Master’s Degree in School Counseling from Long Island University in 2007 and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Binghamton University in 2005. Most recently, Santella worked at Children’s Aid Society from 2013 to 2018 where she held positions as an educational specialist as well as a supervisor in their Teen Foster Care Program. Through her education and her professional experience, Santella has become an expert in educational advocacy for younger foster children as well as older youth. Santella found her passion for working with youth in the child welfare system while working with CASA in 2007 as an Americorps VISTA member in Montana.